Book marker



Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Abplication January15, 1940, Seiial N0. 313,929

3 Claims.

My invention relates 130 improvements in a detachable type book marker.

One of the objects of my invention. is 120 pro vide a flexible type bookmarker which can be inserted between the pages of a book and which doesnot require any separate fastening means tohold it in place.

Another imporoant object of r'ny inventionis to shape the book marker insuch a way that its natural resiliency holds it secure1y in p1ace, andyet When it is desired 1:0 remove it from between certain pages andp1ace it in another place in the book, the same resiliency permits it tobe removed without damage 130 the structure.

Another important object of my invention is 130 provide a resilientlyformed book marker so thatit can be removed without bending the hdoks bywhich it is held 130 the top and' bottom edges cf the binding.

A further object of my invention is to pi=ovide a book marker which canbe manufactured ab a 10W price and. which is completely se1f-contained.

With markers of ohe prior art, such as in my ear1ier patent, N0.1858,605 it has been necessary to provide means for holding the markerin the book. Also with many of the markers of the prior art of thisgeneral type it has been necessary 130 thread through ho1es or s1ots arubber band or other flexible securing member.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate 1ike parts throughoutthe same:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing an opened book having a sing1emarker in place therein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view f a marker with a portion of the book shown indotted 1ines;

Fig. 3 is a modified form of the marker;

Fig. 4 is a furoher modification in form;

Fig. 5 is a still further modification; and

Fig. 6 is still another modification.

In certain uses to which books are put, it is sometimes desirable tohave as many as thirty markers placed between as many selected pages ofa book. These markers are placed in the books one at a time andsometimes more than one marker is placed between one given pair ofpages. It is therefore necessary to provide means for setting themarkers in place whieh Will not require the bending 0f the means whichholds them in the book.

In the drawing, B represents a book having the usua1 covers C and pagesP. At the back is the binding N which provides shoulders I I ab the topand bottom. These shoulders extend across the fu11 Width of the back ofthe book.

My invention is designed. 170 take advantage of the presence of theseshoulders and by using them as an anchoring means, I can dispense withthe usual separate securing means heretofore used.

The marker proper comprises the base membei I2 having -hooks I3 formedab each end to engage the edges of shoulders I I of the binding. T0 thebase member er connecting bddy portion I2are' secured marker or indiciabearing extensions I5 which bear suitable reference numerals. Theseusuall'y have numerals from 1 to 30 ab the ends Which project beyondtheedges of the pages P.

The important thing about the presentiri vention is that the connectingbody portion I2 has a continuous web I6 ofiset frbm asubstantia1lystraight line I'I connecting the 'engaging members I3, so as to provideanon-continuous connection 01' area betweenthe hook membzrs I3'. Anotherway ofsatihg this is as followsr' The body portion I6 is cut away fromthe straight 1ine I'I connecting the hooks I3. The purpose of this is topermit the hooks I3 be disengaged from the shoulders I I Withoutrequiring bending of the hooks I3. Pulling 011 either or both hooks I3causes a lengthening of the space between ehe hooks, and this ispermitted by the ofiset connecting body portion I6 which usua11y bendsor twists a little as I;he hooks I3 are separated. (See dotted lines inFig. 2.) The natural resiency of the connecting body member I6 causesthe marker 110 flatten as soon as the hooks I3 are released and theyassume their regular spacing in engagement with the shoulders I I on theback end of the book. When the book is c1osed, the leaves hold theconnecting body portion IG flat so that hooks I3 will not separate andbecome displaced.

When it is realized. that there are usually up to 30 of these markersp1aced in a book not over an inch thick, the facility with which amarker of this present type canbe taken out and replaced in the bookWill be appreciated.

The present invention lends itself many different shapes for theconnecting body portion I6 and. it is noo intended that the onesillustrated for the purpose of explaining the invention sha11 be theen1y ones to be covered by the c1aims. In Figs. 3 to 5 I haveillustrated other forms Which the connecting body portion may hake.

In Fig. 3 instead of being an arcuate member as in Fig. 2, theconnecting body portion is formed by a straight member 20 and rightangle members 2I and 22 connected to the hooks I3. The oflset connectingmember 20 a1lows the hooks I3 to be spread apart the distance necessaryto place them over the shoulders II. The natral resiliency cf thematerial used, Usually Celluloid or a similar product, will cause I;hemarker 130 resume its normal fiat shape as soon as the user releasesI;he hold on the hooks I3. 1

In Fig. 4, the connecting body portion 23 is substantially solid exceptthat itwill have one or two slits 24 and 25 or even mor slits which willgiVe the necessary freedom of movement to hooks I3 When t hey are pulledby the one using fl 1 e marker. In Fig. there is a further modificatiouin portion, and inwardly facing opposed hooks carri ed by' and extendingdivergently beyond ehe ends of the body portion for engaging the upperWhich the indicia bearing extensi0n I5 i5 formed integral With the lowerhook I3 and the portion of the connecting body 26. The 'upp6r hook I3and the other portion cf the connecting body 21 are joined to body 26byan ofiset arm 28 and 30.

This gives an unconnected p1ace or slit 3 I so that the hooks I3 canbespread apart for insertion er removal from the binding 0f thebook.

From these modifications, as wel1 as from the structures shown in Figs.1 and 2 it will be seen that the essential thin'g is for the ends orhooks I3 to be separated further apart as shown in dotted lines in Fig.2, simply by pulling=them apart, which causes th connecting body portionI6 to I:Wist s1ihtly and pu]1 in towards the imaginary dotted line I1.

The amount cf offset of distance between the connecting body portion I6and the imaginary 1ine I'I connecting the hooks can be varied -to suitthe design-ers choice. It is only necessary that it be enough to allowsflicient separation of the hooks I3 for them to be easily'applied overthe shoulders II and I2. The same thing can be said with regard to theSlits 24 and 25 in Fig; 4 and 31 in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 6 the marker comprises the base memher 40 having hooks I3 formedat each and to enandlower edges of a hook backing, the hooks beingsubstantially laterally and longitudinally displaced from the bodyportio n f0r separation 'thereof from tlie hook backing through transverse fiexing of'the body portion, toward said hook backing.

2. A hook marker' comprising an elongate d normally flat body portionwhich 1's bow-shaped in the plane thereof, inwardly facing opposed hookscarried by the ends of the body member and extending in oppositedirect1'ons beyond I7he concave edge thereof for engaging the upper andlower edges 0f a hook backing and an indicia b'earing extension carriedby the bow-shaped body portion and projecting from the convex edgethereof.

3. A hook marker comprising a normally flat arcuate body portion in theform o1 a thin strip of uniform width substantially throughout itsarcuate extent,- the ends of the ar'cuate body portiori merging intoextensions cf reduced width and diverging from the concave edge of thebody portion, inwardly facing opposed hooks on I:he ends of theextensions for engagingthe upper and lower edges of a hook backing, andan 'indicia bearing extension secured to the body portion and projectingfrom the convex edge thereof,

GEORGE B. VON ALVENSLEBEN.

